NEW DELHI: The courts should help fuel growth, not impede it, Law Minister Kapil Sibal has counselled the judiciary.

"Legal processes and procedures should not be an impediment to economic growth, but fuel it. Simplification and transparency of legal processes and procedures are necessary to achieve this objective," said Sibal, who holds the telecom portfolio and took additional charge of the law ministry on Monday.

Sibal replaced Ashwani Kumar, who was sacked by the government days after the Supreme Court said he had made significant changes to the CBI's status report on the coalfield allocations scandal before it was submitted to the apex court, arousing suspicions of a cover-up.

Sibal has taken over the ministry at a crucial time when the government is facing legal challenges to its policies ahead of the crucial general elections. "We will have a dialogue with various ministries on various issues," Sibal said, without elaboration, at an informal interaction with the media.

The law ministry will have to satisfy the top court that its coal allocation policy has been above board, especially since the court has raised the spectre of en masse cancellation just as in the 2G case. The court has also refused to rule out a Special Investigation Team should the CBI fail to do its job properly.

Another cause for worry is the fact that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself held the coal portfolio from 2006 to 2009. The minister also spoke of the need to initiate structural reforms, such as changing the collegium system of appointments, which, he said, was opaque and non-transparent.

Sibal also said there was need to embrace technology to speed up dispensation of justice. "Embracing modern technology at every level of the judicial system, from investigation to decision-making, is necessary. This is the only way change can be brought about expeditiously," he said, referring to the three crore odd pending cases and the outstanding vacancies in the high courts and the subordinate courts.

True. But more importantly, governments should fuel growth, and not impede it. You and the rest of the UPA-II coterie have impeded growth by your nasty policies and throwback to leftist era. First fix that before pointing fingers at others.

its like a student saying to teachers that they should increase pass percentage by off looking cheating and mass copying.
what rubbish,the duty of any court is to keep the law of the nation upheld,not to support the govt policies

its like a student saying to teachers that they should increase pass percentage by off looking cheating and mass copying.
what rubbish,the duty of any court is to keep the law of the nation upheld,not to support the govt policies

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Though to point a man from congress as immoral is hard task as we say poori dal hi kali hai, but this man and his son are shameless liers.

1999 was my first experience with sibbal ( i was just 8 then ) and i saw him coming with lies and lies everyday.

after the results, he justified it by saying that rajneeti me sach jhoot chalta hai.

People like Kapil Sibal, with that Cheshire Cat smile, should not speak about curbing.

His draconian Sec 66a of the draconian IT act is up for adjudication by the Supreme Court.

In short, that section is as good as being in China!

The manner in which the Nation has lost faith in the Govt and its rudderless hydra headed governance, and instead look to the Supreme Court to save them, should speak for itself and it is time politicians like Sibal take heed and not go off the rocker!

"Legal processes and procedures should not be an impediment to economic growth, but fuel it."

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No, courts should do exactly what they are meant to do - dispense justice. The thing it should do is try to expedite the process to clear out the backlog of cases, and seek help from the government if needed. It is not the responsibility of the judiciary to double up as the finance ministry.

The judiciary functions on laws made by the legislature, and the legislature can help by making the laws simpler, more transparent, and by reducing red-tapism.

No, courts should do exactly what they are meant to do - dispense justice. The thing it should do is try to expedite the process to clear out the backlog of cases, and seek help from the government if needed. It is not the responsibility of the judiciary to double up as the finance ministry.

The judiciary functions on laws made by the legislature, and the legislature can help by making the laws simpler, more transparent, and by reducing red-tapism.

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That maybe right.

However, when the laws, made by the legislature, are flouted blatantly by an arrogant Govt, which feels the numbers in Parliament is the be all and end all of democracy, and then when the Am Admi moves the Court, what should the Court do?

The court interprets the law and the omissions and commissions that happen.

I am sure they cannot sit pretty and look busy.

The endless scams and cover ups is adequate to rile the people and move the court.